Metalorganic Chemical Vapour Deposition (MOCVD) is a versatile technique for the deposition of thin films of oxide materials as it offers advantages, such as deposition over large surface area, conformal coverage, selective area deposition, and a high degree of compositional control. The MOCVD process uses metalorganic (MO) complexes, such as β-diketonate and alkoxide-based complexes, as precursors. These complexes are stable and moderately volatile. Because of the direct bond between metal and oxygen, MO complexes are natural precursors for oxide coatings. As the process involves chemical reactions taking place on the substrate surface, growth of thin films by MOCVD depends on various parameters such as the chemical nature and concentration of precursors, reaction pressure, reaction temperature, and the nature of the substrate. Such a large parameter space of the CVD process, when combined with the dynamics (thermodynamics and fluid dynamics) and kinetics, makes it rather complex. This complexity allows one to make thin films of metastable phases, including amorphous materials. One of the important findings of the work is that MOCVD process is capable of making composite coatings of carbonaceous metal oxide. Manganese is multivalent and forms various stable oxides, such as MnO, Mn2O3, Mn3O4 and MnO2. There are various potential applications of manganese oxides. MnO2 is a very well studied material for its electrochemical applications in dry cells, lithium-ion batteries, and in supercapacitors. Hence, it becomes pertinent to explore the properties of thin films of manganese oxides prepared by MOCVD for various electrochemical and other applications. The thesis work is divided into two parts. Part 1 describes the synthesis of manganese complexes, their characterization, and their application to the CVD of coatings, especially those of carbonaceous MnO. Part 2 is devoted to a detailed study of electrochemical aspects of the carbonaceous MnO coatings, followed by a report on their unusual transport properties. Chapter 1 begins with a brief introduction to thin film deposition processes. In particular, the CVD process is described with reference to various parameters such as carrier gas flow, pressure, temperature and most importantly, the CVD precursor. The chapter ends with a description of the scope of the work undertaken for the present thesis. Chapter 2 deals with “Synthesis and Characterization of MO complexes”. It begins with a description of the classification of CVD precursors with the description of MO complexes such as β-diketonates, which are generally subliming crystalline solids. Manganese β-diketonate complexes are discussed in detail. Due to the multivalent nature of Mn, there are two possible complexes namely Mn(acac)2(H2O)2 and Mn(acac)3. These complexes have been synthesised and characterized (confirmed) by various techniques, such as elemental analysis (CHN), X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR spectroscopy, and mass spectroscopy. Thermal analysis of the complexes shows that they are suitable as MOCVD precursors. We have used Mn(acac)2(H2O)2 as a precursor in the present work. Metalorganic complexes, where metal ion is directly bonded with both nitrogen and oxygen, can be potential candidates for the precursor for oxynitrides coatings. We have therefore studied solid crystalline anthranilate complexes of various metal ions, such as Mn2+, Co2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ and confirmed their formation. Thermal analysis shows that anthranilate complexes are fairly volatile below 250oC and decompose below 500oC. These complexes were pyrolysed in open air and in sealed tube at different temperatures, and the resulting powder product examined by XRD, SEM, EDAX and FTIR. This preliminary study shows that anthranilate complexes yield different oxides of Mn, Co and Cu under different pyrolysis conditions, with very interesting morphological features. Pyrolysis of Zn(aa)2 in a sealed tube leads to the formation of a nanocomposite of carbon and zinc oxide (wuerzite), rich in carbon, with potential for applications in catalysis. On the other hand, the pyrolysis of Zn(aa)2 in air at the same temperature leads to leads to crystalline, nanostructured zinc oxide (wuerzite). However, no attempt has been made to use these anthranilates as CVD precursors. Chapter 3 deals with “MOCVD of Manganese Oxides and their Characterization”. It begins with a brief review of various manganese oxides and their properties. This is followed by description of the CVD reactor used for the present work, together with the conditions employed for the deposition of MnOx films. Depositions have been carried out on different substrates such as SS-316, ceramic alumina and Si (111), while varying various deposition parameters, viz., substrate, reactor pressure, carrier gas (argon) flow rate, and the duration of deposition. Significantly, depositions are divided into two categories: one, carried out in argon ambient, in the absence of a supply of oxygen (or any other oxidant) and the second one, under oxygen flow, using argon as carrier gas. The films deposited in the absence of oxygen flow are thick, black in colour, and electrically conducting, indicating the presence of carbon. The growth rate follows a typical thermal pattern, with activation energy of ~ 1.7 eV. Detailed characterization by XRD, TEM/ED, Raman, FTIR and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) shows that these films are composed of MnO in a carbon-rich amorphous matrix. High-resolution SEM (fig. 1) reveals a fractal pattern of cauliflower morphology, comprising very fine particles (4 – 10 nm), characteristic of very large specific surface area of the film, which is confirmed by volumetric BET measurement (~2000 m2/g). We conclude that growth in argon ambient leads to a homogenous nanocomposite film of hydrated MnO in carbon-rich matrix. Thus, our study reveals that MOCVD is a novel one-step chemical method to produce homogenous composite thin films, wherein all components of the nanocomposite film emerge from the same chemical precursor. Carbon incorporation is generally avoided by empirical process design, as it is viewed as an impurity. The potential advantages of carbon incorporation are thus not examined and the composite nature of carbonaceous films not recognized in the literature. Carbonaceous nanocomposite film can be significant as an electrode in supercapacitors, as discussed in part 2 of the thesis. Chapter 3 describes films deposited under oxygen flow, which are no longer black and are highly resistive, indicating the absence of carbon in the film, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. XRD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy reveal that the films obtained under oxygen flow are more crystalline than the ones obtained in the absence of oxygen flow, and that the films are generally nanocrystalline composites of two manganese oxides, such as MnO and Mn3O4. Given the context of the carbonaceous MnO films described above, chapter 4 begins with a review of electrochemical capacitors (also called supercapacitors or ultracapacitors), which are emerging as important energy storage devices. Until now, in the Mn-O system, hydrated MnO2 has been well-studied as an electrode material due to its low cost and environmental compatibility, but the low electrical conductivity of MnO2, together with irreversible redox reactions, reduces its performance. In electrochemical capacitor applications, metal-oxide/carbon composites are finding importance. Chapter 4 deals with “MnO/C Nanocomposite Coatings as Electrodes for Electrochemical Capacitor”. In this chapter, we have examined the novel EM, i.e., the hydrated MnO/C nanocomposite coating prepared by the MOCVD process on a conducting substrate (current collector) such as SS-316 as an electrode. Electrochemical measurements have been carried out for both the 3-electrode assembly (for basic aqueous electrolyte) and 2-electrode assembly (for gel polymer electrolyte) using cyclic voltammetry (CV), AC impedance and charge-discharge techniques. The studies lead to a maximum specific capacitance of 230 – 270 F/g at 1 mA/cm2 discharge current density for the MnO/C nanocomposite coating grown at 680oC. The Bode plot shows a maximum phase angle of around 74 – 82o, indicating capacitive behaviour. The MnO/C nanocomposite film shows a very small time constant (0.5 – 3 msec), which is good for high frequency applications. The pulse power figure of merit is found to be 650 – 2000 W/g. Capacitance determined for a large number of charge-discharge cycles (~20000), and at large current densities (50 mA/cm2) show promising results. The energy density (5 - 32 Wh/kg) and power density (2 – 4 kW/kg) estimated from charge-discharge data at 1 mA/cm2 shows the potential of the nanocomposite MnO/C as electrode for superior capacitor devices. Gel polymer electrolytes (GPE) offer the advantage of large electrochemical potential window due to its structural and chemical stability. Studies have been carried out to show that the MnO/C nanocomposite film is compatible with gel polymer electrolytes based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) with salts of magnesium triflate and magnesium perchlorate, respectively) and plasticizers (ethylene carbonate (EC) + propylene carbonate (PC)), in a 2-electrode assembly. Chapter 5 deals with “Magnetoconductance in MnO/C Nanocomposite Coatings on Alumina”. Amorphous systems, such as MnO/C composites wherein carbon is amorphous and MnO is nearly so, are highly symmetric condensed phases, which do not possess long range translational or orientational order. Disorder in the system creates Anderson localized states just above the valence band, which lead to reduced electrical conductivity. Amorphous systems show either a small negative magnetoresistance (~ 5%) or a small positive magnetoconductance (~ 7%) at very low temperatures (~ 10 K). As such, the transport properties of the MnO/C nanocomposite film have been investigated, and are reported in chapter 5. Transport and magnetotransport measurements have been made on the MnO/C nanocomposite film grown on alumina. It is found that the MnO/C nanocomposite coating exhibits a giant negative MR (22.3%) at a temperature as high as 100 K, which is unusual because pure MnO is anti-ferromagnetic and does not ordinarily show any magnetoresistance (MR), while amorphous carbon is known to show a small MR at very low temperatures (~7 K), due to weak-localization. The present results mean that a mechanism other than weak-localization plays a role in this nanocomposite material. Further study of this material is called for, which can perhaps lead to giant magnetoresistance (GMR) at room temperature in a metal-oxide/carbon nanocomposite. A summary of the work and an outlook for further research are given in the concluding chapter 6.

Thin film nanostructures may be defined as assemblies, arrays, or randomly distributed nanoparticles, nanowires, or nanotubes, which together form a layer of materials supported on a substrate surface. Because such nanostructures are supported on a substrate surface, their potential applications cover a wide area in optical, magnetic, electrochemical, electromagnetic, and optoelectronic devices. The focus of the present thesis is the development of methodologies to grow certain thin film nanostructures of some transition metal oxides (TMOs), including copper oxides and LixCoO2, through CVD, sol-gel, and electromagnetic radiation-mediated approaches. The work towards this objective can be divided into three parts: first, the design, synthesis, and systematic identification of novel metalorganic precursors of copper (monometallic) and Li and Co (bimetallic); second, the growth of nanostructured oxides thin films using these precursors; and third, the application of electromagnetic radiation to control or tailor the growth of as grown nanostructures. The underlying growth mechanisms substantiated by appropriate evidence have been put forward, wherever found relevant and intriguing. It may be added that the principal objective of the work reported here has been to explore the several ideas noted above and examine possibilities, rather than to study any specific one of them in significant detail. It is hoped earnestly that this has been accomplished to a reasonable extent. Chapter 1 reviews briefly the reports available in the literature on three specific methods of growing thin films nanostructures, namely chemical vapour deposition, sol-gel processing and light-induced approach. The objective of this chapter has been to provide the background of the work done in the thesis, and is substantiated with a number of illustrative examples. Some of the fundamental concepts involved, viz., plasmons and excitons, have been defined with illustration wherever found relevant in the context of the work. Chapter 2 describes the various techniques used for synthesis and characterisation of the metalorganic complexes as well as of the thin films. This chapters covers mostly experimental details, with brief descriptions of the working principles of the analytical procedures adopted, namely, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and thermal analysis for characterisation of the metalorganic complexes. This is followed by a similarly brief account of techniques employed to characterize the thin films prepared in this work, viz., glancing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), glancing incidence infra-red spectroscopy (GIIR) and, UV-visible spectroscopy. The metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) systems built in house and used for growth of films are described in detail. The topics in the different sections of the chapter are accompanied by pertinent diagrams. Chapter 3 deals with the design, synthesis and characterisation of novel polynuclear complexes of copper and cobalt. Keeping in mind the various advantages such as low toxicity, ease of synthesis, non-pyrophoricity, and low temperature volatility, of environmentally benign complexes based on biologically compatible such as triethanolamine, diethanolamine, the objective has been to synthesize complexes containing triethanolamine and diethanolamine of transition metals such as cobalt and copper, and to investigate their applicability in MOCVD processes as a novel class of precursors. With the notion of ‘better’ and efficient design of precursors, an attempt has been made, through a semi-empirical modeling, to understand the correlation between volatility and various intrinsic molecular parameters such as lattice energy, vibrational-rotational energy, and internal symmetry. Chapter 4 discusses the growth of nanoporous Cu4O3-C composite films through the MOCVD process employing Cu4(deaH)(dea)(oAc)5.(CH3)2CO as the precursor. The various characteristic aspects of as-grown films, such as their crystallinity, morphology, and composition have been covered elaborately in various sections of this chapter. The chapter describes the efficient guiding and confining of light exploiting the photonic band gap of these nanoporous films, which indicates the potential usefulness of these and similar films as optical waveguides. A model described in the literature on absorbing photonic crystals, wherein a periodically modulated absorption entails an inevitable spatial modulation of dispersion, i.e., of the index contrast to open a photonic band gap, has been used to calculate the indices of refraction of one of these nanoporous films. The chapter also reports briefly the preliminary electrochemical investigations carried out on a typical film, examining the notion of its application as the anode in a Li-ion rechargeable battery. Chapter 5 describes the synthesis of nanocrystalline LixCoO2 films by the sol-gel method. Reports available in literature indicate that the various phases of LixCoO2 are extremely sensitive to processing temperature, making it difficult to control dimensionality of a given phase using temperature as one of process parameters. We have investigated the possibility of using incoherent light to tailor the particle size/shape of this material. The as-grown and irradiated films were characterised by X-ray diffraction, and by microscopic and spectroscopic techniques.Optical spectroscopy was carried out in order to gain insight into the physico-chemical mechanism involved in such structural and morphological transformation. Chapter 6 deals with the synthesis of self-assembled nanostructures from the pre-synthesized nanocrystals building blocks, through optical means of exciton formation and dissociation. It has been demonstrated that, upon prolonged exposure to (incoherent) ultraviolet-visible radiation, LixCoO2 nanocrystals self-assemble into acicular architectures, through intermediate excitation of excitons. Furthermore, it has been shown that such self-assembly occurs in nanocrystals, which are initially anchored to the substrate surface such as that of fused quartz. This new type of process for the self-assembly of nanocrystals, which is driven by light has been investigated by available microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Chapter 7 describes the stabilisation of chemically reactive metallic lithium in a carbonaceous nanostructure, viz., a carbon nanotube, achieved through the MOCVD process involving a lithium-alkyl moiety. This moiety is formed in situ during deposition through partial decomposition of a metalorganic precursor synthesized in house, which contains both lithium and cobalt. It is surmised that the stabilization of metallic Li in the nanostructure in situ occurs through the partial decomposition of the metalorganic precursor. Quantitative X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy carried out on such a film reveals that as much as 33.4% metallic lithium is trapped in carbon. Lastly, Chapter 8 briefly highlights the outlook for further investigations suggested by the work undertaken for this thesis. Novel precursors derived from biologically compatible ligands can open up possibility of growing new type of micro/nano-structures, and of unusual phases in the CVD grown films. Furthermore, it is proposed that the novel method of growth and alignment of nanocrystals through irradiation with incoherent light, employed for the specific material LixCoO2, may be employed for various other metallic and semiconducting materials.

Une étude de caractérisation intégrée de pétrographie et géochimie organique a été réalisée dans les bassins de Sabinas et Chihuahua au Nord-Est du Mexique. Ces informations ont permis une modélisation numérique de la formation du gaz en considérant la subsidence thermique des charbons et des shales à gaz. Les objectifs de cette thèse sont les suivants: mise en place d'une méthodologie de caractérisation des roches étudiées ; estimation du potentiel générateur de gaz et sa distribution régionale ; estimation des ressources en gaz méthane. Les analyses effectuées sur l'ensemble des échantillons ont permis de caractériser la roche, les kérogènes, les huiles et les gaz. La méthodologie utilisée permet de croiser les informations pétrographiques et géochimiques pour pouvoir analyser le système pétrolier par modélisation numérique. Les analyses réalisées sont: réflectance% Ro, analyse élémentaire et immédiate, Rock Eval6 ® (Bulk Rock), [delta]13C, [delta]D, (gaz de charbon), microscopie électronique à balayage, analyse d'images, analyse des macéraux et inclusions fluides. Un programme informatique a été construit afin de croiser l'information des analyses des échantillons avec celle des expériences de maturation artificielle en laboratoire. Cette démarche nous à permis d'estimer les ressources en gaz méthane à la fois généré par les charbons et les shales gaz. La méthodologie utilisée pour l'étude des kérogènes et des gaz dans les deux bassins est à notre avis la plus appropriée pour répondre aux objectifs proposés dans ce travail de thèse. Celle-ci permet de caractériser l'évolution thermique des charbons, shales gas (gaz de schiste), et roches mères pétrolières / This comprehensive characterization study was performed using organic petrology and geochemistry conducted in the Sabinas basin and Chihuahua in northern Mexico. This information allowed a numerical modeling of gas formation, considering the thermal subsidence of coal and carbonaceous shales.The objectives of this thesis are: establish a characterization methodology for the studied rocks ; estimate potential gas generator and its regional distribution ; estimate the methane gas resources. For the development of this project, we conducted an intensive campaign representative sampling of coal, carbonaceous shales and coal gas "in situ". For the Sabinas basin were studied 97 samples and 114 samples in the basin of Chihuahua. The analyses carried out that were used on the samples analyzed allowed to characterize the kerogen and gas. The methodology used to cross petrographic and geochemical information to analyze the petroleum system by numerical modeling. Analyses were: Petrographic, reflectance %Ro, elemental analysis and immediate, Rock Eval6 ® (Bulk rock), isotopic analysis, [delta]13C, [delta]D, (coal gas), scanning electron microscopy, image analysis and analysis of macerals fluid inclusions. The analyzes that were used on the samples allowed to characterize the sample, the kerogen and gas. The methodology used to cross petrographic and geochemical information for analyze the oil system by numerical modeling. Analyses were: Petrographic, reflectance% Ro, elemental analysis and immediate, Rock Eval6 ® (Bulk rock), isotopic analysis, d13C, dD, (coal gas), scanning electron microscopy, image analysis and analysis of macerals fluid inclusions. A computer program was constructed to cross the information with the analysis of samples of artificial maturation experiments in the laboratory. This approach allowed estimation of methane gas resources generated by coal and carbonaceous shales. [...] In conclusion, between the two basins studied, the Sabinas basin, generates more gas for industrial exploitation. However, the rocks of the basin of Chihuahua unconventional types (shale gas) show good potential for hydrocarbon generation. The methodology used for the study of kerogen and gas in the two basins is in our opinion the most appropriate to meet the objectives proposed in this thesis. This allows to characterize the thermal evolution of coal, carbonaceous shale (shale gas), coal gas and hydrocarbon source rocks

Interest in effects of carbonaceous particles in the atmosphere has recently taken an upswing due to knowledge of how these particles affect our environment. Carbonaceous aerosols are characterized by their dark color, giving them the ability to absorb both incoming and outgoing radiation of all wavelengths in the atmosphere. If these particles are deposited on snow or ice they blacken the surface, with an increased rate of melting as a consequence. These particles play a significant role in climate change and it is important to characterize the particles in order to determine their environmental impact and their origin. In this thesis, two non-destructive dielectric measurement approaches for characterizing carbonaceous particles at microwave frequencies were explored: measurements with an impedance analyzer and measurements using a cavity resonator. Measurements were carried out on quartz filters containing concentrations of carbon normally found in snow in northern Scandinavia. To validate the carbon concentration on the filters a field trip to northern Sweden was conducted. Snow samples were collected and analyzed in regards of carbon content, confirming that the amount of carbon on the filters were accurate. The impedance analyzer showed great uncertainty and the results were not precise enough to determine the credibility of the approach. Measurements with the cavity resonator showed some promising results due to its extreme sensitivity but require adjustments to distinguish different particle types from each other. Thus, it is expected that the use of a cavity resonator operating at microwave frequencies will become an applicable method for characterizing carbonaceous particles in the future.

Soot is a carbonaceous materials produced as a result of incomplete combustion of fuels (gasoline, diesel, etc). At the present level of automobile technology, emission of soot from combustion in diesel engine appears to be an inevitability. The disadvantage in the diesel combustion is that it is not homogeneous throughout the cylinder. So the fuel-air ratio cannot be maintained constant throughout the flame zone and hence rich combustion zone leads to the formation of soot. Diesel engine combustion processes produce a large amount of soot, which is one of the major pollutant emissions of the exhaust systems. The fraction of combustion particulate, which is soot, is often estimated by finding the insoluble portion of the particulate. Hydrocarbons or other available molecules may also condense on or beads orbed by soot depending on the surrounding conditions. Other particulate matter constituents include partially burned fuel/lubricant oil bound water, wear metal and fuel derived sulfate. In diesel engine lubrication, soot has long been recognized as the major contaminant that is detrimental to engine lubrication, particularly in friction and wear. Different techniques for soot abatement have been investigated by researchers from the field of combustion and fuel. In spite of the large numbers of investigations of soot formation conducted till date, there is relatively little quantitative information is available about the mechanisms and governing rate processes. Some of the studies focused on the combustion chemistry of soot formation while some emphasized on engine design. On the other hand comparatively a few research works are coming out from the tribological point of view. Considering that internal combustion engines play such an important role in industry, investigative research of the parametric influences of particle size, agglomeration, oil viscosity, additives and surfactant as well as chemistry and electrical properties of particles on wear as well as into the wear mechanisms have not perhaps been as extensive as it is detrimental. Existence of a large numbers of variables in tribological contacts makes the situation very complex and difficult to analyze it quantitatively. In this complex scenario, where many opposed effects are playing their roles in soot tribology, the influence of the physical, structural and mechanical properties of soot on engine tribology has limited attention. We focus our study on one of the end effects of engine soot; friction and wear of the engine components. Since a diesel engine is not particularly suitable for use in a laboratory study of the fundamental processes and parameters of combustion due to its inherent difficulties on control and safety as well as data analysis uncertainty, so the most useful studies of soot fundamentals have emerged from studies of processes which have used simplified environments such as diffusion flames. We focus on soot tribology in steel-on-steel interaction in the presence of soot material suspended in relatively simple paraffinic hydrocarbons, hexadecane; with and without an additive. The physical, structural, chemical and mechanical properties of the particle and their changes as a function of tribological parameters are monitored throughout this study. Three type of soot are used in this work. Firstly, commercial grade carbon blacks has been used as soot simulant. Secondly, to enable controlled variations of the physical, mechanical, chemical and geometrical parameters of the particles, soot is generated in-situ by burning ethylene gas and the particles are extracted thermophoretically from different thermal zones of the flame. Thirdly, to establish the validity of the study, two types of diesel soots are extracted from an engine and studied. The objective is to use such an understanding to elucidate the basic mechanisms of friction and wear in the presence of soot which may limit the performance of a diesel engine. From our study we find that these soots have widely different morphologies, crystallographic orders and reactivity. At tribological contact the soot agglomerates fragment to primary level particles. The physical and chemical properties of such particles determine the friction between and wear of mating components. If the soot is strongly graphitic, the friction and wear are moderate. If the soot is made of chemically active organic groups, the friction and wear are high. The hardness, friction and resistance to material removal of the soot collected near the flame tip and diesel soot are found to be high compared to the other types of soot. Besides, the high hardness, irregular primary particle shape, large inter-particle adhesion leading to agglomeration and more abrasive nature of diesel soot influence the metal wear adversely. This trend of soot tribology is profound when these soots are suitably dispersed in the oil by the addition of dispersants, in our case it is polyisobutylene succinimide. Different functional groups present on the soot surface play important role in defining the interaction between surrounding medium and contacts which, in turn define the contact conditions, particle/agglomerate behavior and soot tribology. Finally, agglomeration is simulated using the features of a dissipative particle dynamics package as the simulation technique. Simulations are performed on a sizeable number of particles to observe agglomeration behavior, on simple environment, in future which can be further extended.

Für PEM-Brennstoffzellen-Mikro-BHKW mit integrierter Dampfreformierung ist die Verwendung von LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) bei fehlender Erdgasinfrastruktur interessant. Grundlage der BHKW-Effizienz ist eine optimale wärmetechnische Verschaltung, durch die u.a. das LPG/H2O-Gemisch effektiv auf die Reaktionstemperatur (700 °C) der Dampfreformierung vorgewärmt wird. In Abhängigkeit von der Verweilzeit, der das Gemisch ausgesetzt wird, können signifikante Mengen ungesättigter Kohlenwasserstoffe (C3H6, C2H4, C2H2) pyrolytisch gebildet werden, C3H6 kann des Weiteren bereits im LPG enthalten sein. Bei der katalytisch unterstützten Dampfreformierung fördert dies die Bildung verschiedenartiger kohlenstoffhaltiger Ablagerungen, wodurch eine vorzeitige Deaktivierung eintritt. In der Arbeit wird das Spaltpotenzial numerisch und experimentell untersucht. Durch Anwendung von Temperatur-Programmierter-Methanisierung und Ramanspektroskopie wird ferner der negative Einfluss bereits geringer C3H6-Anteile an einem Katalysator gezeigt. Aus den Ergebnissen werden abschließend Maßnahmen zur Minimierung kohlenstoffhaltiger Ablagerungen abgeleitet. / The use of LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is an alternative for PEM fuel cell micro-CHP systems with integrated steam reforming in the absence of natural gas infrastructure. An optimized thermo technical interconnection is the basis of the CHP efficiency, whereby, among other things, the LPG/H2O-mixture is preheated to the steam reforming reaction temperature (700 °C). Significant amounts of unsaturated hydrocarbons (C3H6, C2H4, C2H2) can be formed pyrolytically depending on the residence time for preheating the mixture; furthermore, C3H6 can be already a component of LPG. These species promote the formation of different carbon containing deposits on the reforming catalyst whereby a premature deactivation occurs. The thesis deals with the investigation of the pyrolysis potential using numerical as well as experimental methods. Furthermore, the negative effect of already low amounts of unsaturated hydrocarbons on a catalyst is shown by using Temperature-Programmed-Methanation and Raman spectroscopy. Finally, actions for avoiding the production of carbon containing deposits are derived from the results.

No description available.

No / The ESA/Roscosmos ExoMars rover will be launched in 2018. The primary aim of the mission will be to find evidence of extinct or extant life by extracting samples from the subsurface of Mars. The rover will incorporate a drill that is capable of extracting cores from depths of up to 2 m, a Sample Preparation and Distribution System (SPDS) that will crush the core into small grains and a suite of analytical instruments. A key component of the analytical suite will be the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) that will be used to probe the molecular and mineralogical composition of the samples. In this work we consider the capability of the proposed Raman spectrometer to detect reduced carbon (possibly associated with evidence for extinct life) and to identify the level of thermal alteration/maturity. The Raman analysis of 21 natural samples of shale (originating from regions exhibiting different levels of thermal maturity) is described and it is shown that reduced carbon levels as low as 0.08% can be readily detected. It is also demonstrated that the Raman spectra obtained with the instrument can be used to distinguish between samples exhibiting high and low levels of thermal maturity and that reduced carbon can be detected in samples exposed to significant levels of oxidation (as expected on the surface of Mars). (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

No description available.

Ce travail de thèse traite d'expériences d'astrophysique de laboratoire sur des matériaux aromatiques, étudiés pour la plupart dans des conditions proches de celles rencontrées dans les milieux interstellaire et circumstellaire, comprenant rayons cosmiques et irradiations UV. Ces dernières sont à l’origine de bandes d'émission dans l'infrarouge moyen, dont les porteurs supposés sont principalement les Hydrocarbures Aromatiques Polycycliques (PAHs) et les nanoparticules aromatiques. Un nouveau spectromètre, FIREFLY (Fluorescence in the InfraRed from Excited FLYing molecules), contenant une réplique des filtres circulaires variables à bord de l'instrument ISOCAM du satellite ISO, a été mis au point et caractérisé au cours de cette thèse. Cet instrument a permis de mesurer la désexcitation infrarouge dans la région des modes d'élongations CH (3.3 µm, soit 3000 cm-1) des dérivés du benzène et du naphtalène à température ambiante, suite à l’absorption d'un photon UV. Ceci montre, avec l’appui de la modélisation, que la spectroscopie d’émission IR est un outil puissant permettant de comprendre les effets d'anharmonicité liés à l'énergie interne, l’isomérisation voire même la dynamique intramoléculaire non-adiabatique, au travers de la spectroscopie d'excitation de fluorescence infrarouge (une nouvelle technique). Ce travail est préliminaire à la future mesure de fluorescence infrarouge de nanoparticules aromatiques en phase gazeuse et à basse température produites par une flamme basse pression, dans le but de comparer les spectres de laboratoire avec les observations astrophysiques. Le dépôt d'énergie par les rayons cosmiques a été étudié grâce à une autre expérience, l'irradiation ionique d'analogues de poussières interstellaires et circumstellaires (suies produites par la flamme basse pression), mettant en évidence une réorganisation chimique. Les suies sont caractérisées par différents diagnostics complémentaires tels que la Microscopie Electronique en Transmission à Haute Résolution et les spectroscopies infrarouge à Transformée de Fourier et Raman. L'ensemble des informations tirées permet de mieux cerner la nanostructuration des analogues et ainsi mieux identifier les différentes signatures spectrales astrophysiques (interprétation de la bande à 7.7 µm comme une bande de défauts). Grâce à ces expériences, nous espérons améliorer notre compréhension de la structure, croissance et évolution de la poussière, d'un point de vue astrophysique. / The work presented in this thesis deals with laboratory astrophysics experiments of aromatic compounds, mostly studied in conditions similar to those encountered in interstellar and circumstellar environments, including cosmic rays and UV irradiations. These are the source of mid-infrared emission bands whose carriers are supposed to be composed mainly of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and aromatic nanoparticles.A new spectrometer, FIREFLY (Fluorescence in the InfraRed from Excited FLYing molecules), containing a replica of the circular variable filters of the ISOCAM instrument on-board the ISO satellite, was developed and characterized in this thesis. This instrument was used to measure the infrared de-excitation in the CH stretching mode region (3.3 µm or 3000 cm-1) from benzene derivatives and from naphthalene at room temperature, following the absorption of a single UV photon. With the support of modelling, IR emission spectroscopy is a powerful tool for understanding the effects of anharmonicity related to the internal energy, isomerization and also the non-adiabatic intramolecular dynamics through the new technique of IR fluorescence excitation spectroscopy. This work is preliminary to the infrared fluorescence measurement of low-temperature gas phase aromatic nanoparticles produced by a low pressure flame, in order to compare the laboratory spectra with astrophysical observations.Cosmic-ray energy deposition has been studied with another experiment: the ionic irradiation of interstellar and circumstellar dust analogues (soot produced by the low pressure flame) highlights a chemical reorganization. Soot is characterized by complementary diagnostics such as High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The results help identify the analogue nanostructures and better identify the astrophysical spectral signatures (interpretation of the 7.7 µm band as a defect band). Through these experiences, we hope to improve our understanding of the structure, growth and evolution of the dust, in the astrophysical context.